Field
The present disclosure relates to methods of fabricating nuclear fuel.
Description of Related Art
Relatively large stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium were built up by various countries during the Cold War. Additionally, more reactor-grade plutonium is being produced every year as a by-product of the nuclear power industry. The accumulation of plutonium presents toxicity and proliferation concerns. To reduce this accumulation, efforts have been made to utilize the plutonium as fuel for nuclear reactors. Converting plutonium into a usable nuclear fuel conventionally requires manufacturing the fuel into oxide form. However, manufacturing the fuel into oxide form involves numerous steps and is expensive, thereby hindering the use of more plutonium as an energy source.